7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Set in 1945 during the Red Army invasion of Berlin. A woman faces the most extraordinary fight for survival against the city's new occupiers.
Starring: Nina Hoss, Evgeniy Sidikhin, Irm Hermann, Rüdiger Vogler, Ulrike KrumbiegelWar | 100% |
Drama | 68% |
Foreign | 34% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Partial Russian language
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Based on the once controversial book "Eine Frau in Berlin" (A Woman In Berlin), German director Max Farberbock's "The Downfall of Berlin - Anonyma" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an interview with director Max Farberbock, Making Of featurette, and Behind the Scenes. In German, with imposed English subtitles. Region-Free.
In Berlin
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Max Farberbock's The Downfall of Berlin - Anonyma arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video.
This is a very strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is great, particularly during the numerous close-ups where the camera studies the faces of the main protagonists. Clarity varies - obviously, due to the manner in which the film was shot - and during some of the darker indoor scenes it is rather difficult to see perfectly well everything that takes place on the screen. Contrast levels also vary, but, again, the numerous mild fluctuations that you would notice while viewing the film are intentional. The color-scheme is very unique - and very effective. Grays, light blues, deep yellows and browns are the prevalent colors. Some minor noise reductions have been applied, but the film's grain structure is very much in tact, and a number of key scenes look absolutely gorgeous. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not a serious issue of concern. Neither is ringing and banding. Additionally, I did not detect any disturbing cuts, warps, scratches, dirt, or stains or report in this review. Finally, when blown through a digital projector, the film looks remarkably stable and tight.
Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. There are, however, a couple of PAL-encoded trailers that are included on it. The good news is that they are not "forced", which means that you will be able to skip them and get to the disc's main menu without a problem. For the record, I have tested the disc on a Region-A PS3 and three other SAs.
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: German/Russian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, the English subtitles are imposed and cannot be turned off. Also, they appear inside the image frame.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong. The bass is powerful and punchy, the surround channels intelligently used, and the high frequencies not overdone. The opening 10-15 minutes, in particular, are very impressive, boasting some terrific surround effects. Furthermore, the dialog is crisp, clean and exceptionally easy to follow. Award-winning composer Zbigniew Preisner's music score also sounds lovely, especially during the second half of the film. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hiss to report in this review.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.
Making of - a standard featurette sowing raw footage from the shooting of the film. Director Max Farberbock and producer Gunther Rohrbach, as well as selected cast members address their involvement in the film and the the story it tells. In German, with imposed English subtitles. (21 min).
Behind the Scenes - additional raw footage from the shooting of the film. Once again, numerous comments from cast and crew members are included. In German and Russian, with imposed English subtitles (17 min).
Interview - a short interview with Director Max Farberbock in which he addresses a series of questions about his film, the unique story it tells, the film's production history, etc. In German, with imposed English subtitles. (8 min).
Max Farberbock's The Downfall of Berlin - Anonyma is a powerful, genuinely unsettling and immensely brave film. It is terrifically acted as well. I particularly liked the fact that the film did not attempt to deliver the mandatory politically correct message most every other film about WW2 nowadays has. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Metrodome Video, looks and sounds excellent. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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